Serves 2
A hearty take on the traditional Sicilian pasta alla Norma, with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, Italian sausage, oregano and two kinds of salty Italian cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 medium globe eggplant, about ½ pound, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds, then cut crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ¾ pound Italian sausage, mild or hot, bulk or with casings removed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
- 8 ounces rigatoni
- ¾ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ¾ cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese
Cook's Note
Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper as you go. The eggplant gets salted well in advance, which both seasons it and helps draw out excess moisture.
Directions
1. Salt the eggplant.
Place the eggplant strips in a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Leave for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours to draw out excess moisture. When it's time to cook, blot the moisture and excess salt from the surface with a paper towel, then give the eggplant a gentle squeeze to remove as much water as possible.
2. Start the garlic.
Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook slowly until very soft, fragrant and nicely golden brown, but not burnt, about 5 minutes.
3. Brown the sausage.
Shape the sausage into 3 patties. Add them to the pan and cook, flipping a few times, until evenly browned on the outside and almost cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Break the sausage into bite-size chunks, then scoop it out of the pan and set aside.
4. Cook the eggplant.
Add additional olive oil to the pan if needed and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the eggplant in batches until nicely browned.
5. Build the sauce.
Add the cherry tomatoes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break down and everything starts coming together into a sauce.
6. Cook the rigatoni.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente according to the package directions.
7. Bring it together.
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To Serve
The ingredient list tells us the finished dish includes Pecorino Romano and crumbled ricotta salata, but I want to see the final paragraph before specifying exactly when and how the original recipe adds each cheese.
